My Point Exactly

via boing boing
Four years ago, Canadian Maher Arar was detained on a routine airport stopover in the United States. He ended up Syria, where he was imprisoned and tortured for 10 months.

When he was released by the Syrians and returned to Canada, he started asking how he had been targeted as an Islamist terrorist. His search for answers has made him into a national celebrity, and is likely to end with an apology from the prime minister himself.

Full article here.

We should be the light of the world.

Over 200 people have been released from Guantanamo. Some of whom then took up arms against us. (Can't imagine why.) At least 200 people were let go. There are innocent people held by US forces.

The Congress authorized torture against people who have not been tried and who are being denied fundamental legal protections. (Scroll down to Article 5).

Taxonomy of Torture.

The Bill of Rights declare the principals that this country was founded upon. The constitution defines the United States. It describes a tolerant, pluralistic society that extends its justice to all.

The US Senate, with a pathetic cadre of Democratic party support, said our rights are transient. They said that these rights aren't inalienable, rather they exist at the whim of government. The Senate said that, rather than attempt to promote these rights world-wide, they are in remission here at home.

We should have more trust in our system of justice. It does work, it can work. We lose faith so easily.

Any parent knows that "do as I say, not as I do" doesn't work.

Chalk it up

Last weekend was Labor Day weekend and so we had the annual Chalk-It-Up event in downtown Sacramento. I swung by and had a look. Fortunately for you, so did my friend and fellow blogger Steve White. Check out his site for the real deal. (Steve was clever enough to take a camera.)